Best Golf Courses Near Bristol — Parkland, Moorland and Links

Bristol tends not to feature prominently in the first-rank conversations about English golf destinations. That is a shame, and to some extent an injustice. The city sits at the convergence of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and the Bristol Channel coast, surrounded by a varied landscape that has produced an equally varied collection of golf courses — from classic parkland in the city’s immediate hinterland to one of England’s finest and most underappreciated links courses on the Somerset coast less than an hour’s drive to the south-west.

Golfers visiting Bristol for work or leisure often discover, to their surprise, that they have options ranging from historic parkland courses with magnificent views to a championship links that regularly hosts elite amateur events and is quietly regarded by those who know it as one of the great courses in England. This guide covers the full range, from accessible city clubs to the outstanding venues that justify a dedicated trip.

In and Around the City

Bristol & Clifton Golf Club

Failand, North Somerset | Classic parkland | Views towards the Suspension Bridge

The Bristol & Clifton Golf Club at Failand occupies elevated ground on the south side of the Avon Gorge, and on clear days parts of the course offer views back towards Clifton and the iconic Suspension Bridge. It is a parkland course of genuine character — mature trees, well-defined fairways, and a layout that rewards thoughtful play over raw power.

The club has a long history and a warm atmosphere. It is one of the more established clubs in the Bristol area and provides a solid test of golf without being either a pushover or the kind of course where a mid-handicapper spends most of the round in the trees. Visitor access is available, and it makes an excellent first round for anyone new to Bristol golf.

Filton Golf Club

North Bristol | Traditional parkland | Established community club

Filton, situated north of the city near the former aerospace works, is one of Bristol’s most established golf clubs. The course is traditional parkland — flat to gently undulating, tree-lined, and with enough variation in the holes to keep the round interesting from start to finish. It is the kind of club that forms the backbone of English golf: not a destination venue, but well-run, friendly, and producing good golfers for generations.

Green fees are reasonable, visitor times are generally available midweek, and the club has an active society programme. For anyone wanting a straightforward, enjoyable round within easy reach of the city centre, Filton delivers.

Long Ashton Golf Club

Long Ashton, North Somerset | Parkland | Severn Estuary views

Long Ashton sits just to the south-west of Bristol, and the upper holes of this mature parkland course offer views across to the Severn Estuary and, on clear days, the hills of South Wales beyond. It is a course with genuine visual drama at its higher points, though the golf itself rewards accuracy and course management more than panoramic distraction.

The layout has an old-fashioned quality that appeals to those who appreciate golf that has evolved naturally over time rather than been heavily manicured into submission. Long Ashton is a proper golf club — busy, engaged membership, decent practice facilities, and competitive green fees that reflect its position as one of the city’s more sought-after parkland venues.

South Gloucestershire and the Bath Area

Tracy Park Golf & Country Club

Wick, South Gloucestershire | Two parkland courses | Near Bath

Tracy Park sits in parkland near the village of Wick, roughly equidistant between Bristol and Bath, and offers two 18-hole courses. It is one of the most popular society venues in the South West, partly because the facilities are well-suited to groups — catering, changing rooms, practice areas — and partly because the parkland setting is genuinely attractive. The Crown course and the Cromwell course offer slightly different challenges, and a two-course day here is a popular format for visiting societies.

The proximity to Bath makes Tracy Park a natural fit for a combined golf-and-city break. Play golf in the morning, spend the afternoon in Bath exploring the Roman Baths and Georgian streets. Few golf clubs in England offer quite that combination within a ten-minute drive.

Bath Golf Club (Sham Castle)

Bath, Somerset | Elevated parkland | Spectacular city views

Bath Golf Club sits on elevated ground on the eastern edge of Bath, adjacent to the folly tower known as Sham Castle. The views from the course — across the city’s UNESCO-listed Georgian architecture, down the Avon Valley, and out towards the surrounding hills — are simply extraordinary. There are moments on the upper holes of this course where the golf itself becomes almost secondary to the setting, which is saying something given that the golf is perfectly good.

The course itself is a traditional parkland layout that plays considerably tougher than it looks when the wind picks up on the exposed upper ground. Club selection on the upper holes can vary by two or three clubs depending on conditions. Visitor access is available, and the combination of scenery and golf makes this worth travelling for in its own right.

Somerset Moorland and Parkland

Mendip Golf Club

Gurney Slade, Somerset | Moorland | Fast-draining, testing in wind

The Mendip Golf Club occupies the plateau of the Mendip Hills, and the golf here is unlike anything else in the Bristol area. This is moorland golf — open, exposed, fast-draining, and entirely at the mercy of the weather. On a calm summer day it is an invigorating place to play golf, with long views across the Somerset Levels to the south and Chew Valley to the north. When the wind comes in from the west, as it regularly does at altitude on the Mendips, it becomes something else entirely.

The course has a natural quality that more manicured venues sometimes lose — the turf is firm and quick, the rough is genuine, and the lack of heavy tree cover means there is no shelter from the elements. It is the kind of course that rewards golfers who can adapt their game to conditions, and it provides an excellent contrast to the parkland courses closer to the city.

Green fees are sensible, and Mendip is a club that is genuinely welcoming to visiting golfers. It is a particular pleasure in early summer when the moorland flora is at its best.

Farrington Golf & Country Club

Farrington Gurney, Somerset | Parkland and lakes | Popular with societies

Farrington is a modern golf and country club near the village of Paulton, in the Somerset coalfield country south of Bristol. It is a well-presented course with attractive water features, solid greens, and facilities that make it a popular choice for corporate and society days. The layout is more recent in design than many of the courses in this guide, which means wider fairways and more amenable conditions for higher-handicap golfers.

The club is particularly strong on the hospitality side — catering, bar, and function facilities are all well-run — which makes it a good choice when golf is part of a broader occasion rather than the pure focus of a trip.

Wells Golf Club

Wells, Somerset | Parkland | Cathedral city setting

Wells Golf Club sits on the edge of England’s smallest city, near the famous cathedral and moated Bishop’s Palace. The course is traditional Somerset parkland — unpretentious, pleasant, and a good standard of golf for the area. Playing golf in Wells has a particular quality of Englishness about it: you park near the golf club, walk across to the first tee, and somewhere in the distance the cathedral bells might be chiming. It is not a destination course, but it is a genuinely enjoyable round in a unique setting.

Bristol Channel Coast

Clevedon Golf Club

Clevedon, North Somerset | Elevated parkland | Bristol Channel views

Clevedon occupies a dramatic elevated position above the Bristol Channel on the northern Somerset coast, and the views from the upper holes — across the Channel to the Welsh coast, with the Severn bridges visible to the north on clear days — are among the most striking of any course in the region. The golf is interesting throughout, with the elevation changes demanding careful club selection and the exposed position ensuring that wind is a permanent factor.

The club is welcoming to visitors and the green fees are reasonable. It is the kind of club that might not make national top-100 lists but consistently delights golfers who discover it for the first time.

Weston-super-Mare Golf Club

Weston-super-Mare, Somerset | Links feel | Traditional seaside golf

The Weston-super-Mare Golf Club, founded in 1892, occupies sandy linksland on the edge of the town and has the feel of a proper seaside golf club — salt air, firm turf, and fairways that bounce and run in the way that only coastal courses deliver. It is not the most testing course in the region, but the links character and the traditional atmosphere of the club make it a genuinely enjoyable experience.

Weston is an hour’s drive from Bristol, or accessible by rail from Bristol Temple Meads, and works well as a half-day golf outing combined with a look around the town and its famous Victorian pier.

The Centrepiece: Burnham & Berrow Golf Club

Burnham & Berrow Golf Club

Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset | Outstanding links | Championship and St Christopher’s courses | ~45 min from Bristol

If there is a single course within reach of Bristol that demands to be the centrepiece of any serious golf trip, it is Burnham & Berrow. The Championship Course here is one of England’s finest links courses, and one of the most genuinely underrated — in the sense that golfers who have not played it are often surprised to encounter a course of this calibre tucked away on the Somerset coast.

The course sits on the dunes south of Burnham-on-Sea, and the duneland is spectacular — natural ridges and hollows that have been used intelligently to create a routing that flows beautifully through the landscape. The par-4s and par-5s demand precision and imagination in equal measure. The greens are traditionally shaped and often testing, and the course plays differently every time depending on wind direction and ground conditions. It is the kind of links that rewards multiple visits, because it genuinely reveals new facets with each round.

Burnham & Berrow regularly hosts major amateur events, including qualifying rounds for important championships, and the quality of the course has been recognised by consistent high placement in English course rankings. And yet, outside specialist golf circles, it remains quietly unheralded. The green fees, while not cheap, are considerably lower than comparable links courses in Lancashire or Scotland, which makes it exceptional value.

The club also has a shorter St Christopher’s course that is an enjoyable 18-hole layout in its own right, and the clubhouse and facilities are of a high standard. The Somerset coast around Burnham is flat and unpretentious — this is not a glamorous resort location — but the golf is absolutely first-class.

Make Burnham & Berrow the anchor of your Bristol golf break. Plan the rest of the itinerary around it.

Getting There

The M5 motorway is the key artery for Bristol golf. The motorway runs south from Bristol to Weston-super-Mare and beyond, giving easy access to the Somerset coast courses. Burnham & Berrow is approximately 45 minutes from central Bristol via the M5 to junction 22, then south on the A38. Weston-super-Mare is around 40 minutes.

For courses north of Bristol — Tracy Park, Long Ashton, Filton — the M4 and M32 corridors are the relevant routes.

Rail access: Bristol Temple Meads has regular services to Weston-super-Mare (approximately 50 minutes), making the seaside golf of the Somerset coast accessible without a car. A taxi from Weston station to Burnham is approximately 20 minutes.

When to Visit

The Bristol area offers good golf year-round by English standards. The parkland courses are at their best from April through October when the ground is firmer and the tree foliage adds colour and definition to the courses. Burnham & Berrow and the coastal courses are genuinely good in winter — the links drain well and the winter fairways at Burnham produce the kind of firm, fast conditions that links golfers love.

Summer on the Mendip plateau can be spectacular when the weather cooperates, though be prepared for conditions to change rapidly at altitude. Spring is a beautiful time throughout Somerset, with the apple orchards in blossom adding to the appeal of the wider landscape.

Green Fees at a Glance

Course	Approx. Visitor Fee
Burnham & Berrow Championship	~£80–£90
Bath Golf Club	~£60–£75
Mendip Golf Club	~£45–£60
Bristol & Clifton	~£45–£60
Long Ashton	~£40–£55
Tracy Park	~£35–£50
Clevedon	~£30–£45
Farrington Golf & Country Club	~£30–£50
Weston-super-Mare	~£30–£45
Filton	~£25–£40
Wells	~£20–£35

Green fees are approximate and subject to change. Always confirm directly with the club.

Suggested Itinerary: Two Days Around Bristol

Day One: Bath Golf Club in the morning — enjoy the views over the city from the upper holes, then spend a few hours exploring Bath itself in the afternoon. Short drive to Tracy Park for an early evening nine holes if time allows, or simply enjoy the historic centre of Bath over dinner.

Day Two: Make the 45-minute drive to Burnham & Berrow. Book the first available morning tee time on the Championship Course. Allow yourself to walk slowly, take in the duneland, and play the second nine in whatever light you have left. This is a course worth spending time on rather than rushing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Burnham & Berrow genuinely worth the journey from Bristol? Absolutely. It is one of England’s top links courses. The 45-minute drive is the same as commuting to work, and the golf is exceptional.

Are there decent municipal courses near Bristol? The Bristol area has several pay-and-play options, and some of the club courses offer good-value visitor rates that make them accessible without advance membership arrangements.

What is the best course for a society outing near Bristol? Tracy Park and Farrington Golf & Country Club are both well-set-up for societies, with catering facilities and two-course formats available. Both are used regularly for corporate days.

Can you visit Bath Golf Club without a member introduction? Visitor access is available for individuals and societies. It is worth calling ahead to check availability, particularly at weekends.

Is it possible to walk to Burnham & Berrow Golf Club from Burnham-on-Sea town centre? The course is on the edge of town and is walkable from the town centre, though a short car journey or taxi is more practical with a full golf bag.

Bristol’s golf offering is genuinely varied and consistently undervalued in the national conversation. From the spectacular elevated parkland of Bath Golf Club to the serious championship links at Burnham & Berrow, the courses within reach of the city span an impressive range of styles and ambitions. Add the Mendip moorland and the Bristol Channel coastal clubs, and you have a golf destination that rewards proper exploration.

If you leave Bristol having played only courses within the city itself, you will have missed the best of it. Make the drive south along the M5 and discover what Somerset’s coast has been hiding.